Lost in my Father's Shadow
by neko-valentine
Summary: Wonder what Cloud's father was like? I did, then I wrote this!! ^_^ R+R PLEASE!!!!!
1. Default Chapter

disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII at all. Sugar-pookies... :P  
  
Lost My Father's Shadow - Prologue by neko_valentine  
  
  
  
"What did I tell you, boy?! Be more careful with the dishes!!!" the burly man yelled at his son when he dropped another plate on the floor, shattering it.  
  
The boy's mother ran to his side. "Now, dear," she spoke to the husband. "Cloud didn't mean to do it. Did you?"  
  
The seven year old blonde boy shook his head frantically. "N-no..."  
  
"Quiet, woman!!!" the man yelled. His wife winced. "This is about the third time he's broken one of them dishes tonight!! I say he needs to be taught a lesson." The man reached out towards his son and grabbed him by the upper arm.  
  
The boy's eye's widened. "N-no..!!! Dad, I-I didn't mean it! Please!! Don't hit me, please...! Not again..."  
  
The man growled. "Well, you shoulda thought about that BEFORE you broke them dishes, boy," he said as he pulled his son into the other room. There, he raised his hand back and smacked the boy clean across the face. Cloud looked fearfully out towards his mother.  
  
"Mom!!" he cried. "Please... Help me!!"  
  
She simple lowered her head.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Later on that night, the father walked out of the other room, sure that his son had received a good clean beating. His wife ran into the room and cradled her unconscious child. He had a few too many scars on his back from what looked to be a belt; some had been there from previous beatings, a few of them were new. At this rate, he'd kill Cloud, their one and only son.  
  
Carefully she carried Cloud to his bedroom and tucked him in. He didn't deserve this kind of treatment; he was the kind of boy who was sweet as could be and always helped his mother with things. She felt a pang inside of her heart as she watched his unconscious sleep. 'Cloud,' she thought. 'I will make this right, don't worry.'  
  
Quietly, she closed Cloud's bedroom door and made her way back to the kitchen. She found her husband sitting on one of the wooden chairs at the table. "Arthur," she said as sternly as she could. "I would like it if you didn't beat Cloud anymore."  
  
He looked at her as if she'd gone mad. "Stop beatin' him? Beverly, every kid deserves a beatin' for doing somethin' wrong!!" He laughed, a throaty chuckle.  
  
Beverly shook with pent up rage as she clenched her hands in fists. "It's not funny. You could kill him! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"  
  
Arthur snorted. "Not especially. He's your kid, after all."  
  
"You helped create him!!!" she screeched. "You helped bring him into this world!!!! He is your son too!!!"  
  
"I doubt it," he snapped. "Knowin' you, he could be anyone's kid!!!"  
  
Beverly's eyes widened. "Get out," she said sharply.  
  
"What was that?" Arthur asked, disbelievingly.  
  
"I said get out!!!!" she yelled. "Get out and never come near me or my son again!!!! You have NO right to put your hands on him!!! Now, GET OUT!!!!!"  
  
"FINE!!!" he shouted. "Don't expect to see me back here. EVER!!!"  
  
She narrowed her eyes. "No one would want you to come back."  
  
"Hump!" he said. As he left, he spit on the contour of the house and walked away into the darkness of the night.  
  
Beverly broke down into a fit of sobs and fell to her knees. She held her face in her hands and wept the entire remnants of the night.  
  
  
  
~fin of Prologue~  
  
A/N: well, what didja think? It's a bit odd... OH WELL!!! I like it! Anywho, should I continue or just leave it like this? Cuz I was planning to continue but if no one wants me to... *sniff* I'll understand... :D Any-a- way, R+R please!!! 


	2. ch1

disclaimer: FF7 doesn't belong to me. In no way, shape or form. Damn it...  
  
  
  
Lost In My Father's Shadow - ch.1 - by neko_valentine  
  
  
  
Fourteen years later, Cloud Strife sat at the counter reading a magazine in the new and improved Seventh Heaven in Kalm. He and Tifa had started work on it and made it their home almost a day after Sephiroth had been defeated.  
  
"Cloud?" came Tifa's voice from upstairs. "Could you come here for a second?"  
  
"Gimme a second, Tif," he replied as he finished off the page he was reading. He headed upstairs and into the room where Tifa's voice had come from. "Yes, Tif?"  
  
Tifa smiled at him. "Could I see your shirt for a second?"  
  
"Why?" Cloud asked, puzzled.  
  
"Because that's the same shirt you wore when you defeated Sephiroth and it's all torn and stuff so I thought you'd like a new one," she said and took a deep breath. "So I need to see that one so I know what size to make it."  
  
He shrugged. "Ok..." he said and slipped off the purple tank top. He handed it to her. "Here ya go."  
  
She smiled. "Thanks." She pointed to the bed. "You can sit there if you want. I'll only be a minute."  
  
Cloud nodded and headed over to the bed. He sat down on one side, his back to her. He was starting to get a chill from the lack of clothing on his upper body.  
  
After a few minutes, Tifa finished. "Here you are, Cloud!" she said. "All don-" She stopped abruptly as she caught sight of his back. Her eyes widened as she saw all the long, nasty looking scars all over his back. "Cloud, what happened to your back!?"  
  
He turned around so he faced her. "Nothing... It's nothing."  
  
Tifa flocked to him like a worried mother hen. "Those scars don't look like nothing!!" she exclaimed. "What happened?! That didn't happen while we were on our journey, did it?! Tell me! I need to know!!"  
  
"No... it didn't... it's from-"  
  
A sudden knock at the front door interrupted Cloud's statement. "I'll get that," he said. In his mind he was getting ready to kiss the person who'd knocked. He grabbed his shirt and put it on as he made his way down the stairs and to the front door.  
  
He opened the door and had to look down. He saw a small, brown haired girl standing there; she had on a red halter top and baggy blue jeans. Her eyes shone a beautiful silver-gray and she wore a familiar green headband with two brown braids sticking out of the back. She kind of looked like...  
  
"Yuffie?" he said. "Is that you?"  
  
The girl smirked and flung herself at him. She hugged him tightly around the waist. "Yup!" she said cheerfully. "For a second there I thought you didn't recognize me!"  
  
Cloud smiled. "How could I forget the girl who stole all of AVALANCHE's materia?" he said as he hugged her back.  
  
"I apologized for that!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Hey, Cloud?" came Tifa's voice from upstairs. "Who's at the door?"  
  
"Yuffie," Cloud called back.  
  
A scoff could be heard from upstairs. "Well, invite her in already!"  
  
Cloud looked down at the little ninja and realized that he still had her in an embrace. Not that it was bad or anything...  
  
'Wait a minute!' he thought. 'Not that bad? Where the hell did that come from? I couldn't be... falling for her... could I?' It was true that he'd kind of liked her on their adventures together, but he'd gotten over that! Hadn't he?  
  
Yuffie stood there, hugging Cloud around the waist, seeming unwilling to let go. 'Oh man,' she thought. 'If only I could stay like this forever...' Her eyelids dropped shut a little before she realized what she was saying. 'What the HELL?!' she thought. 'I don't like Cloud, do I? Oh man, Tifa's gonna kill me! Not if she doesn't find out though! Heh heh...' She pulled out of the embrace and smiled up at him.  
  
"Well, are you gonna invite me in or am I going to have to go to a hotel?" she asked, mock angry.  
  
  
  
!~!~!~!~!~!  
  
~fin of ch.1~  
  
A/N: Tell me what you think. Be honest. It might turn out a little different than you expected, but that's 'kay! ~__^ Anywho, R+R and I'll be very happy! Oh, and if you know what's gonna happen (or you think you know) then don't say so in a review. Tell me in an e-mail. Some people aren't as smart as you are! 


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